r
In association with
Panasonic
R
3DO INTERACTIVE MULTIPLAYER
3DO
It's A Whole
New Game
Crystal Dynamics welcomes you to the
world with three new products.
:-bit
1 ^*
\1
O
DYNAMICS
in
conjunction
with
Panasonic Welcome to
Contacts
Editorial
Future Publishing
30 Monmouth Street
Bath BA1 2BW
Telephone 0225 442244
Fax 0225 338236
Subscriptions
Future Publishing
Cary Court, Somerton
Somerset TA11 7BR
Telephone 0458 274011
Fax 0458 274378
Supplementary personnel
Steve Jarratt editor
Jez Bridgeman art editor
Rob Abbott art direction
Simon Windsor colour scanning
and manipulation
Chris Stocker colour scanning
and manipulation
Jon Moore pre-press coordinator
Mark Glover pre press services
Jason Titley pre press services
Colour reproduction
Saturn Repro, Bath
Print
Cradley Print
Warley, West Midlands
This Edge supplement is printed on
matt art 135 gsm
Typography (Adobe®)
ITC Franklin Gothic/Heavy
Gill Sans/Bold
News Gothic Light/Bold
REAL is a trademark of Matsushita Electric Corp
of America in the United States.
3D0, the 3D0 logos and Interactive Multiplayer
are trademarks of The 3D0 Company.
All other brands and product names are
trademarks or registered trademarks of their
respective owners.
Specifications are subject to change without
notice.
Weight and dimensions are approximate.
Printed in the UK
© Future Publishing
1994
Introduction to 3DO
Panasonic's REAL 3DO Interactive
Multiplayer System is just weeks
away from launch in the UK. We
take a closer look at this powerful
32bit machine, its history, its tech
specs, what it can do and how it
does it. Learn about it now, and you
won't get left behind.
6 The future of 3DO games
i When 3DO is officially launched in
v\ September there will over 20 games to
choose from. But what of the future? Already
there are over 500 companies around the
world who have a licence to develop 3DO
titles. Many of those games are
nearing completion, so turn to page six to see what sort of games
you'll be playing in six months' time.
7 Competition
If you fancy a slice of Panasonic's 32bit action,
all you have to do is read this supplement
carefully and answer a few simple questions.
Then all you'll need is a stamp...
10 The games to play on 3DO
Okay, there may be loads of 3 DO titles, but
you can't buy them all. Whether you're into
adventure games, sports sims, shoot 'em ups
or racing games, there's a 3DO disc for you.
We've rounded up the ten best games which
will be on sale with Panasonic's machine.
14 Subscriptions
uiure
There's only one way to keep up with the world
of 3 DO - and that's to subscribe to Edge. Every
month, this award-winning magazine is crammed
with news and reviews of 3 DO products, plus
information from across the whole world of
interactive entertainment. You can't afford not to...
There's a new machine in town. 3DO will
soon be available in shops up and down the
UK. Edge thinks you should know about it
w
3DO
hen Panasonic's REAL 3DO
Interactive Multiplayer System
officially launches on 4 September,
it will be one of the most
powerful CD-based games
machines you can buy. For around £400 you'll get a true
32bit RISC-based system that can process approximately
six million instructions and move 64 million pixels every
second. It comes with a double-speed CD drive and 3Mb
of RAM. It can manipulate Kodak PhotoCDs with
lightning speed, play audio CDs as well as most
dedicated CD players, and can show video on CD -
initially via CinePak software and later as MPEG I Video.
But, of course, most people will want Panasonic's
3DO system to play 3DO games. And, after a shaky
start with lame titles like Mod Dog McCree and Battle
Chess, the system now plays host to some truly excellent
games: Crash 'n Burn, The Horde, John Madden NFL '94
Football, and Japanese disc Doctor Hauzer show what
3 DO can do. And we have yet to see things like FIFA
Soccer, Demolition M an and Star Trek: The Next Generation.
So in this supplement we aim to show you what
the 3 DO is made of: what it can do and how it does it.
Then when the FZ-I Multiplayer hits the shelves in
September, you'll know what to look for...
0>
CD
H
Edge 3D0 supplement
CO
s
8
Introduc
Panasonic
3DO INTERACTIVE MULTIPLAYER
Technical specification
CPU:
32bit ARM60 RISC processor running at 12.5MHz
Custom chips:
Twin graphics animation processors
Direct Memory Access engine (up to 50Mb/sec)
Memory:
3Mb: 2Mb main RAM, 1Mb VRAM
SRAM:
32Kb (battery back-up)
ROM:
1Mb
DSP:
Custom 16bit Digital Signal Processor
Video output:
PAL version, full screen, 25 fps
Composite video, S-Video, RF video (channel 21)
Screen resolution:
768 horizontal pixels by 576 vertical pixels
Colours:
Maximum 16.7 million; 32,000 as standard
Audio:
Stereo 16bit PCM (sampling @ 44.1kHz)
Storage:
CD-ROM drive 5inch (12cm) CD plus 3inch (8cm) CD single
Extra memory:
Via expansion port
I/O port Control port:
Low speed I/O: Dsub 9-pin x 1, daisychain system
Expansion port:
High speed I/O: 30-pin x 1
AV expansion port:
High speed AV I/O (Video CD adaptor): 68-pin x 1
System Dimensions:
(W x D x H) 11.2 x 10.6 x 3.5 inch (284 x 268 x 88mm)
Weight:
6.4lbs (2.9kg)
Power requirement:
230-240V AC
Power consumption:
30W
3 DO
The first 3D0 system is
about to be launched in the
UK. But where did it come
from and what can it do?
T
he 3DO standard is the brainchild of
Trip Hawkins - founder of
Electronic Arts and now President
and CEO of The 3 DO Company.
Hawkins is a graduate of Harvard
University, where he majored in Strategy and Applied
Game Theory - a discipline of his own design. After four
years with Apple Computers he founded EA in 1 982. By
1993 EA had become the world's biggest thirdparty
games manufacturer with annual revenues in excess of
$350 million.
However, at the height of
EA's success, Hawkins
became frustrated by the
necessity of having to
develop across as many as
20 different formats,
and also by the
restrictive practices
of the console
giants Nintendo
and Sega.
To this end
he decided to
establish a world
standard for
interactive
hardware which could then be
licensed to both hardware and
software producers. In 1 990 he
formed The 3 DO Company and
□
managed to convince such
diverse corporations as
Matsushita, AT&T, Time
Warner, MCA and his old
company, EA, to invest in
the 3DO dream. This they
did - to the tune of $300
million - before a single
3DO player had been sold.
Inside 3DO
Trip Hawkins - the man
who wants to make
3DO a global standard
The 3 DO hardware was
designed by R J Mical and
David Needle - a
successful double act whose credits include the Atari
Lynx and much of the Commodore Amiga's architecture.
To provide the sort of power and interactivity that
Trip Hawkins envisioned, at the heart of the 3DO
system there lies a 32bit RISC (Reduced Instruction Set
Computer) CPU which coordinates the entire network.
While the CPU is running the game engine, twin graphics
animation processors handle the visuals. By organising
graphics into the digital equivalent of traditional
animation cells, these twin processors can twist, warp,
spin and distort graphic elements, make them
transparent, cast shadows and so on.
A Dynamic Memory Access (DMA) engine which
allows the swift and efficient transferral of data
throughout the system completes the picture.
3 DO is also designed to be expandable, so as well
as an FMV cartridge (which enables you to play movies
on CD), you can expect a range of 3DO peripherals.
RF
Composite video
S-video
Graphics
1 Graphics
■
Intelligent simultaneous
processing units
animation
H animation
processor
1 processor
m
Additional IPUs can be
plugged in here
32bit
Video
processor
640x480
resolution
I
One
megabyte
VRAM
Digital
Signal
Processor
Stereo PCM
44.1 kHz
32bit
Direct Memory
Access engine
4W
32bit
Two
Megabytes
16-bit
1 32-bK |
32-bit
8-bit
j 32-bit
DRAM
Add CD drives
Hard disks,
modems...
Expansion
port centre
Double speed
CD-ROM drive
Control
port
Optional
video
input
3—1
Video
ARM 6
decomp
RISC
cartridge
processor
MPEG1
12.5 MHz
MPEG2
This diagram from The 3DO Company shows how 3DO's architecture is a
mixture of 32bit RISC processing plus a DMA engine for high-speed data
movement. Its custom animation engines light, warp, and rotate graphic 'cells'
UK launch
he UK (PAL) version of Panasonic's FZ-I 3DO
system should hit stores towards the end of
August, prior to the official launch at the
European Computer Trade Show on 4 September.
A price has yet to be confirmed but Panasonic are
hopeful that it will be less than £400 - which makes it a
serious contender for Sega's Mega Drive plus Mega CD
(£330) or Atari's Jaguar with its as-yet-unseen CD-drive
(between £350 and £400).
The FZ-I Multiplayer comes with a joypad, all the
necessary leads, and a copy of Crystal Dynamics' Total
Eclipse. This replaces Crash 'n Burn, which accompanied
UK games will appear in the
Japanese-style cases (right)
rather than the cardboard
packs seen in the US (left)
the US pack.
3 DO titles start
at £ 1 9.99, although
the first batch of
games will probably
carry a £39.99 price tag. The discs will come in Mega
CD-style cases, which are infinitely preferably to the US-
style cardboard packs with plastic hinge and snap-lock.
Panasonic are still in negotiations with high street
retailers such as HMV, although distributors ZCL have
signed on to ship FZ-I players to some 700 independent
retailers, including their own Calculus stores.
3DO Japan
major part of 3DO's success as a global
standard lies in its performance in the Japanese
market. In the words of the song, if they can
make it there, they'll make it anywhere...
Fortunately for 3DO, the launch of Panasonic's FZ-I
Multiplayer in March went better than expected. Units
were shipped to some 8,000 stores across Japan,
accompanied by I I titles. As well as US-sourced games
like Crystal Dynamics' Total Eclipse and Crash 'n Burn,
there were a number of Japanese games including the
Wacky Races game, Chiki Chiki Machine Race from Future
Pirates, Ultraman Powered from Bandai,
and T&E SOFT's Pebble Beach Golf Links.
Since the launch, several new
Japanese games have been released,
including the excellent Doctor Hauzer
from Riverhill Soft and the not-so-excellent Tetsujin,
from Synergy. Whether these titles will make their way
over to the UK remains to be seen.
However, Capcom and Konami have signed up to
the 3DO cause, which lends real weight to the system.
Capcom have just announced that their first title will be
a 3 DO version of Super Street Fighter II, and Konami
already have one project underway - a Manga-esque
adventure called Policenauts.
Amazingly, a Japanese magazine dedicated to 3DO
has been available since January of this year. The sensibly
named 3DO Magazine goes out
bi-monthly and recently featured a CD
bound into the back (or is it the
front?) page, containing demos of
upcoming 3 DO software.
With titles like Doctor Hauzer (top), the Japanese launch of 3DO proved a major crowd-puller (right). Capcom and
Konami have promised their support - in fact, Konami's first 3DO game, Policenauts, is well under way (left)
As with VHS videos, the
3DO standard is set to
appear on all makes of
machine. Panasonic are
ahead of the crowd with
their FZ-1 (top), seen
here sporting the MPEG
Digital Video cart, but
both Sanyo (middle) and
AT&T (bottom) also
have 3DO systems
nearing completion
3D0 on tour
Apart from coverage in
magazines like Edge,
Panasonic's 3DD machine
is still something of an
unknown quantity to the
games playing public.
To rectify the situation,
Panasonic have
commissioned a huge
'Showliner' to be built as
part of a 3DD roadshow.
The 45ft juggernaut will
be touring the country
from 23 July up until the
end of November, calling
in on events such as the
Fairford International Air
Tattoo, Airbourne '94 and
Earls Court's LIVE '94,
ending the tour in Covent
Garden, London.
The Showliner (which is
shaped like the FZ-1
player) contains plenty of
3DD machines to give
people 'hands-on'
experience of 3DD.
For more details call
the roadshow hotline on
0800 444220.
The
story
September 1991 The 3D0 Company is officially formed.
October 1992 The first software licensee is signed.
November 1992 The first 3 DO developers' conference is
held - more than 500 people attend.
January 1993 3D0 technology is unveiled at the Winter
Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The 3D0
Company announces its equity partners as Matsushita,
Time Warner, Electronic Arts, MCA, AT&T and Kleiner
Perkins Caufield & Byers.
February 1993 The first silicon version of the 3D0
custom graphics chips are approved.
April 1993 400 Japanese programmers attend the first
Japanese 3D0 developers' conference.
May 1993 The 3D0 Company is floated on the US stock
exchange, raising $48.6 million.
June 1993 Custom chipsets are finalised, ready for mass
production. At the Chicago CES, The 3 DO Company
announces that it has 17 licensees with 35 titles in
development; that AT&T and Sanyo are to manufacture
3 DO players; and that Atari and American Laser Games
are to use 3D0 technology in arcade machines.
July 1993 3 DO Japan is formed to support Japanese
hardware and software licensees.
October 1993 Panasonic's FZ-1 Multiplayer becomes
available in US stores. US West select the 3 DO system as
the cable set-top box for network trials in Omaha.
December 1993 The 500th software licensee is signed.
There are now over 200 titles in development, with 21
already completed.
6 January 1994 AT&T announce that they are to
introduce their VoiceSpan modem technology to 3D0
hardware platforms, allowing gamers to play - and speak
to one another - over the phone lines.
22 February 1994 The suggested retail price of
Panasonic's FZ-1 is cut by 28% from $699.95 to $499.
10 March 1994 Goldstar and Samsung sign on to become
3 DO hardware manufacturers, and Creative Technology of
Singapore plan to develop a 3D0-compatible PC card.
20 March 1994 Panasonic's FZ-1 player is launched in
Japan. 50,000 units are shipped to around 8,000 stores
nationwide and 11 titles are available. The FZ-1 costs
¥54,800 (£340) and meets with brisk sales.
11 April 1994 Toshiba jumps on the 3 DO bandwagon,
signing a deal to manufacture its own hardware, including
a portable player that can be used in cars.
26 April 1994 The number of 3 DO CDs produced passes
the one million mark, encompassing 38 different titles.
28 April 1994 The first 3D0 TV ads hit the US, during
the 100th episode of The Simpsons.
4 September 1994 Panasonic's UK 3D0 machine is
launched at the European Computer Trade Show,
at the Business Design Centre, Islington. ^&
Edge 3D0 supplement
The
F ture
of
3 DO
games
Edge gives you a glimpse
over the 3D0 horizon
Demolition Man
From: Virgin Games
Date: Feb '95
During the shooting of Demolition Man, Virgin Games
gained permission to shoot footage of the movie sets
and also persuaded Sylvester Stallone and Wesley
Snipes to be filmed separately against a green screen.
The actors' movements were then digitally
isolated and have ben incorporated into this Operation
Wo/f-style shoot 'em up.
Featuring movie clips interspersed with a
Stallone's-eye-view of the action as he penetrates
Snipes' hideout, Demolition Man looks like it could be
one of the closest movie tie-ins of all time.
Cyberia
From: Interplay
Date: Mid '95
Hailed as v the most
realistic electronic
cinema experience/
Cyberia is an
espionage tale of epic
proportions.
The player is drawn
through a futuristic
world of 3D locations,
digitally captured
animation and a music
score by none other
than Thomas Dolby.
Kingdom: The Far
Reaches
From: Interplay
Date: Nov '94
Another game that takes full advantage of
CD storage is Interplay's Kingdom: The Far
Reaches, a ripping yarn of mediaeval derring-do.
But rather than present the action using traditional
adventure graphics, the game plays like an interactive
cartoon, with animated sequences pulled off disc. But
just how it plays, of course, remains to be seen.
Virtuoso
From: Elite
Date: Nov '94
Elite are really going
to town with Virtuoso,
in which you
play the part of
a 21st century
musician, in a
world where
music and
virtual reality
are the only
escapes from
urban life.
The digitised main character goes on a cyberfantasy
exploration of a detailed 3D world filled with secret
routes, robots, and rock 'n' roll.
Even 3 DO designer R J Mical, is impressed: 1 am
especially happy with some of the 3DO-specific effects
in this program, where the programmer has gone
beyond the lessons we teach and has discovered
hardware and software magic of his own.'
PowerSlide
From: Elite
Date: Nov '94
Elite's PowerSlide is
destined for the Super
NES and PC, but the
most impressive version
will be the fully texture-
mapped 3 DO game.
This racing simulation
endeavours to replicate
exactly how a rally car
will handle, and Elite
have even brought in an
expert in car simulations
to make sure the physics
of the machine are
handled correctly.
Off-World
Interceptor
From: Crystal
Dynamics
Date: Late '94
Employing the same graphics engine as Total Eclipse (Crystal Dynamics' proprietary
Dynamic Coordination Mapping System), Off-World Interceptor should be nothing if not
spectacular. Taking control of an extraterrestrial monster truck, the player goes on a
bounty hunt to rid the universe of fugitives from justice. The game features nine different
planets, littered with canyons, ramps, tunnels, and the ubiquitous end-of-level bosses.
Edge 3D0 supplement
Vim a Panasonic
FIFA International Soccer
From: Electronic Arts
Date: Nov '94
FIFA International Soccer started life as an experiment,
when EA Canada's coders ported over the Mega Drive's
game and graphics to see if they could do it. After just
one month's work, the project got the full go-ahead!
FIFA is astonishing because it's entirely 3D - allowing
you to view the action from any angle or distance. It's
undecided, but in the game you may be able to select a
roving camera view, or set up your own camera
positions. Either way, it will be the best version to date.
Dragon Tales
From: Mindscape
Date: Mid '95
Coded by Cryo, the
same developers who
produced Mega Race,
Dragon Tales is a
sumptuous looking
adventure set in an age
of knights and dragons.
Boasting rendered
3D panoramic vistas
with 360-degree views,
plus lifelike animation,
Dragon Tales should be
well worth the wait.
Star Control II
From: Crystal Dynamics
Date: Early '95
Accolade's Star Control game first appeared on 8bit
computers and has since been expanded, upgraded and
sequelled. And now the 3DO version - under the
auspices of Crystal Dynamics -
represents the culmination of those
efforts, embellished with stunning
rendered graphics, realistic animation
and sampled speech.
Star Control II is an interplanetary
odyssey in which the player tries to
free the universe from the malevolent
Ur-Quan Hierarchy in a series of
Asteroids-style space battles.
Win one of
three
Panasonic
3D0 systems
plus 20
special
Panasonic
jackets!
Night Trap
From: Virgin Games
Date: Oct '94
A conversion of the headline-
making Mega CD game, Night
Trap plays like an interactive
movie, filled with smooth
FMV footage. Night Trap's
female stars rely on you to
trap the alien interlopers.
RULES: No-one
currently on the payroll
of Panasonic, The 3D0
Company or Future
Publishing may enter.
And no-one called Trip,
either. Entries received
after the closing date
get binned. Panasonic's
decision on the matter
is, as expected, final.
system
Live the 32bit dream with Panasonic's REAL 3DO
Interactive Multiplayer, and a bunch of games to boot
manasonic have kindly donated three 3 DO
machines plus 20 runners-up prizes of
Panasonic jackets to the readers of this Edge
supplement. So, to enter the exciting world of
32bit interactive entertainment, all you have to do is
answer the five easy questions below and then complete the
tie-breaker in no more than 20 words...
1 Which two men designed the 3 DO system?
2 Which company makes Shock Wave?
3 When did 3 DO first appear in Japan?
4 How heavy is Panasonic's FZ-1 machine?
5 Where will the 3 DO roadshow be on 23 Sept?
Now complete the following tie-breaker in no more than
20 words...
i think Panasonic's 3 DO player is the REAL
deal because...'
Got it? Right, jot down your answers on a postcard or the
back of a sealed envelope. Include your name, address and
telephone number if you have one, then send it to:
Panasonic/Edge competition, Panasonic House,
Willoughby Road, Bracknell, Berks RG12 8FP. And
make sure it all arrives no later than the end of November
1994, otherwise the bin gets it.
ELECTRONIC ARTS
prejenhf
THE EA MOIST MULLET
An
range
aceejtioria
A fter a period of intense 3D0 gaming, why not take a
break and dtjoy a rilb doWil with the EA MoUt
Mallet . Yon 11 return to the action refreshed, and ready
for hoard more spectacular 3D0 action.
3DO
For more information about EA's range of software for the 3DO™ Interactive Multiplayer™ sysl
Electronic Arts Ltd. Super Wing Commander ©1994, ORIGIN Systems, Inc. Super Wing Commander, Wing Co
SPORTS logo are trademarks of Electronic Arts Ltd. Electronic Arts is a registered trademark of Electronic Arts
Electronic Arfo aUo create software.
Choose from thu breathtaking range of
3D0 titles fer gamed that get tb
niOdt from your FA Mo
Mullet
3DO
ROAD RASH™
Motorcycle mania on the lawless streets of
tomorrow. Race against America's most
vicious biker scum, speeding through
photo-realistic cityscapes at a frame rate
unimaginable on anything but 3D0. The
intense rock soundtrack features cutting-
edge indie rock from Soundgarden, and
there's nearly 30 minutes of video footage.
SHOCK WAVE™
Frightening 3-D combat as you battle to save
the Earth from an armada of alien warships.
Fly through a multitude of stunningly
recreated landscapes, accompanied by
CD sound effects and music. With over
20 minutes of full-screen video featuring
live actors and computer-generated sets.
JOHN MADDEN
FOOTBALL™
EA SPORTS™ advance the realism of their
American Football classic into a whole
new arena. The eye-popping pitches and
stadia are rendered in 3-D, players are
fully digitised and there's genuine NFL C *
film footage. Plus you've every current
NFL® team and the all-time greats to
choose from in the ultimate football sim.
SUPER WING
COMMANDER™
The definitive space adventure from
Origin® gains an extra dimension on 3D0.
Pilot a host of human and alien ships on
72 seat-of-your-pants missions. Awesome
cinematic sequences, superb 3-D graphics
plus full character speech and a stereo score
make this the decisive alien encounter.
>m, call 0753 546 465 or write to Electronic Arts, 90 Heron Drive, Langley, Berkshire SL3 8XP. Unless indicated otherwise, all software is ©1993-1994,
nmander and Origin are registered trademarks of ORIGIN Systems, Inc. Road Rash, Shock Wave, John Madden Football, Twisted Gameshow, EA SPORTS and the EA
The NFL logo is a trademark of the NFL. NFL is a registered trademark of the NFL. 3DO, the 3DO logo and Interactive Multiplayer are trademarks of The 3DO Company.
TWISTED
GAMESHOW™
Forget Brucie - this gameshow's got it all.
The host's smarmy, the games are barmy,
there's glorious 3-D graphics and CD stereo
nd. Take your pick from the digitised
estants, then lead them through the
uzzles and pitfalls to the surprising
prizes. It's a world of fun for 1-4 players.
ELECTRONIC ARTS -
THE BIG FISH ON 3DO
ELECTRONIC ARTS
O supplement
The
to play
When Panasonic's machine
goes on sale, you'll have a
choice of games. Edge
picks ten of the best
C
rystal Dynamics' Crash 'n Burn was
one of the first games completed for
the 3DO and came bundled with
Panasonic's FZ- 1 when it went on sale
in the US. And, in much the same way
that F-Zero showed what the SNES could do, Crash 'n
Burn is a fine example of 32bit gaming.
The premise is simple: get around the twisting
raceway by any means necessary. And if you can't outwit
the opposition, outgun them.
From the outset, Crash 'n Burn really sets the agenda
for 3DO, with video clips of the opposition, selection
screens filled with lovely rendered hardware and, of
course, the stunning ingame graphics. The 3D racetracks
are beautifully designed and realised, with later courses
boasting transparent tracks suspended in mid-air.
True, the cars don't handle that well, and the
gameplay isn't exactly original, but Crash 'n Burn has many
Possibly the best 3DO game so far: John Madden NFL '94 Football. The popular Mega
Drive game has been promoted to the 32bit league, with amazing game graphics, lists
of statistics and scouting reports for every team in the league - each with its video
footage. A truly amazing debut for EA and a very good reason to buy a 3DO machine!
Total Eclipse are rendered 'on the fly', so you can choose
which gully to fly along, or which tunnel to take.
But while Crystal Dynamics seem to have 3D
graphics off to a fine art, again the gameplay is
questionable. Ship response could be better and collision
detection - especially in the claustrophobic tunnels - is
annoyingly inconsistent. It's also very tough and very
unforgiving - it poses one hell of a challenge.
Still, you can't fail to like Total Eclipse. The graphics
are truly amazing (play on a big TV and you'll be hooked)
and die-hard gamers should be able to overcome its flaws
in their quest for a satisfying blast.
Crash 'n Burn sets the agenda for 3DO: video footage,
rendered vehicles and stunning 3D racing action
hidden depths and is great to show the console
competition what your 3DO machine can do.
Crystal Dynamics swiftly followed up Crash 'n Burn
with Total Eclipse - and if anyone had any doubts that
3 DO is, in fact, a polygon powerhouse, Total Eclipse soon
silenced them.
This time the player is carried across craggy planet
surfaces and through cramped tunnels, on a shoot 'em up
mission against rampaging hordes of aliens.
Again, the visuals are breathtaking: flying though lava-
filled canyons while performing a barrel-roll is a wild
experience. And unlike Crash 'n Burn, which used course
coordinates pulled off CD, the texture-mapped worlds of
'Satisfying* is a v
word which can also be
aptly put to use when discussing EA's classic game, John
Madden NFL '94 Football. A risky but successful defence; a
long ball straight to your receiver; a 30-yard running
touchdown - there's nothing more satisfying than a well-
planned and perfectly executed play.
Similarly, 'well-planned and perfectly executed' just
about sums up this - probably the best 3DO game to
date. It's quite possible that John Madden uses just about
every trick in 3DO's book: tacked onto the already
excellent gameplay are hours of digitised voice-overs,
reams of video footage and presentation slick enough to
Edge 3D0 supplement
Another World is a curious blend
of painterly backdrops and 2D
polygon animation. But it's a
combination that works well
coat a frying pan. And if that wasn't enough,
the game graphics are glorious, with realistically
animated sprites, an improved 3D gridiron, and a replay
mode that defies belief. After an effective play, you can
view the action from a number of vantage points, from
behind the QB to perched below the stadium blimp.
There's very little to find fault within the game and,
really, the only thing that might warn you off buying it is if
you hate American football. But you'd have to loathe it
with a vengeance to miss out on this.
After the ever-so-slightly dreadful Battle Chess,
Interplay have redeemed themselves with a superior
version of Another World - the innovative adventure by
French coder Eric Chahi.
Another World (also known as Out Of This World
outside the UK) sets 2D polygonal characters against
static backdrops, providing an unusual but extremely
convincing stage for this tale of a man blasted through
time and space to, well, another world.
But in the conversion from 16 to 32bit, it has gained
in speed and in colour: the fluidly animated humanoids
are even more fluid, and the previously basic scenery has
been upgraded to full 256-colour landscapes. The
gameplay remains unchanged, but then Another World
always was more of an interactive cartoon than a game
anyway, with simple tests of reaction and
ingenious trial-and-error problems.
Okay, it suffers from being all
too brief, and passwords only serve
to shorten its lifespan; but gamers
new to its delights certainly won't
regret the investment.
Another conversion of a popular
title - this time from the PC - is Super Wing
Commander from Electronic Arts. The original has
appeared on many different systems and
been sequelled twice, but it's SU/JGt
Wing Commander
has appeared on many
different systems, but it's
never quite made the
impression it does
on 3DO
Stay on the
leading Edge
For the best informed,
and most up-to-date
information on 3D0
games, you can rely on
Edge magazine to deliver.
With reviews, previews
of up and coming 3D0
titles (long before any
other mags), news from
America and Japan, and
interviews with the people
who make the games,
Edge is the best
peripheral you can buy for
your 3D0.
To subscribe to Edge,
check out the special
offer on page 14.
never quite made the
impression it now does
on 3DO.
Played against a
backdrop of interstellar
conflict between the
Confederation and the evil
Dralthi, SWC is basically an
excuse for some close-quarters
dogfighting and the occasional Star Cruiser
strafing session. However, 72 different missions - each
with its own plot and conclusion - mean that the game
only reveals all its secrets to those who stick at it.
3DO Super Wing
Commander is the most
impressive version of this
deep-space dogfighter to
date. Improved ingame
visuals and a whole host
of animated sequences
really set the pulse racing
Young Chauncey (US actor Kirk Cameron) combats The
Horde with his mighty sword Grimthwacker. The
harvest goes to pay for taxes - and a little hired help
Missions are apportioned depending on how well
you're doing - so it's possible to finish the game having
only played around 40 missions. But then this merely
means you can play it again and, chances are, it'll be a
whole different story.
Improved ingame graphics (enemy ships now scale
smoothly into view thanks to the 3DO's custom
hardware) plus cinematic cut scenes make the action all
that more believable; all that more difficult to ignore.
A truly original
3 DO game - both in
lineage and concept - is Crystal Dynamics' The Horde.
Played like a cross between Sim City and Ze/do, the
player is tasked with building up his homestead, while
fending off regular attacks from the eponymous Horde.
These seemingly insatiable creatures come scuttling
across your land, eating your crops, your cows, your
people even, and it's up to you to despatch them before
they do too much damage.
Money is earned from defeating Hordlings and from
harvesting your remaining crops, and then goes to
provide investment for the next season. So it's a
constant battle to keep your head above water,
combatting the hooligan Horde while fending off the evil
chancellor's taxes.
The Horde could quite easily have been written for
any I6bit console - it doesn't really push the 3DO too
hard - but what's here is clean and good looking. The
game is kicked off with a lengthy FM V intro and there
are intermission scenes featuring rendered Hordlings in
O supplement
humorous cameos.
It's certainly not a must-buy, but once you start
playing, The Horde will you have battling away for ages.
Another EA classic „ . , nri
getting the 3 DO
treatment is the old Mega Drive favourite, Road Rash.
And if gamers were impressed by the silky-smooth but
barren roadway of the Sega cart, they'll be blown away
by the detailed urban racetracks provided here.
As with the original game, the primary objective is
to win the race; and if this means clobbering some of the
opposition with a bike chain, then so be it. This is no
thinking man's game, but if it's adrenaline-pumping
arcade action you're after, this is it.
Games like this rely so much on a visual key: the
more believable the graphics, the more responsive the
player when he falls under a car, or smacks into a
lamppost. And in that respect, Road Rash delivers in
spades. Houses, pedestrians, cars and other racegoers all
stream past with alarming realism - and when your bike
leaves the road, there's a definite second or two where
your respiratory functions momentarily cease...
Continuing the racing theme, Mindscape are
releasing Mega Race - a conversion of the successful PC
Edge order
of merit
Without doubt, these ten
titles promise the best
3D0 gaming you'll get
when Panasonic's 3D0
debuts in the UK.
But to make your
buying decision that little
bit easier, we've sorted
them into order of merit,
starting with the best...
1 -John Madden NFL '94
Football
2 - Road Rash
3 - Crash 'n Burn
4 - Total Eclipse
5 - Another World
6 - Super Wing
Commander
7 - The Horde
8- Shock Wave
9 - Mega Race
10 - Twisted
Mega Race is a virtual contest, taking place within a
futuristic TV programme. Star of the show is barmy
Lance Boyle, who cheesy-grins his way through the
rules and introduces each race. The superb roadways
are prerendered and streamed off CD as you play
Road Rash boasts astonishing roadway graphics with
lavish detail and some very believable tunnels and hills.
It also contains indie rock soundtracks from A&M
artists like Soundgarden, Therapy? and Paw
CD-ROM game.
Mega Race takes a different slant to Road Rash in
that, rather than the course being created as you go
along, every single frame of the
action has been prerendered
using 3D Studio on the PC and
stored on CD. So every course
- and there are 1 7 of them -
runs as full-motion video in the
background, while the player's
car, and those of the opposition,
are overlaid as sprites.
Not the most interactive
environment, you might think,
but French developers Cryo
have successfully married the two together to create an
effective driving simulation. And, if nothing else, the
course scenes, which take you underwater and into
space, are little short of spectacular! In fact, the
whole package is a video tour de force, featuring a
huge introductory movie, combining futuristic
scenes plus real footage of Lance Boyle - zany
host of the Mega Race TV show.
Most 3 DO titles seem to play host to %
extensive video intros, but the most impressive of all
has to be the stunning sequence which kicks off EA's
Shock Wave. Boasting a cast of real actors, Hollywood
production values and the most glorious rendered
spaceships, it's almost worth buying just for the intro.
Sadly the game doesn't quite match the visual
splendour of the FMV footage - but it comes a close
second. Taking the part of a rookie pilot, you are sent on
a series of sorties to despatch the alien aggressors who
have invaded our beloved Earth. So, instead of Total
Ec//pse-style alien scenery, you find yourself flying over
recognisable cities such as Los Angeles and Cairo.
The seek and destroy action is pretty
straightforward - but the graphics are splendidly realised,
with detailed, texture-mapped landscapes and 3D alien
vessels. And the whole thing is tied together by more
video footage of your wingmen (and women) who
provide information vital to the success of your mission.
Electronic Arts have taken the video theme to its
logical extreme with Twisted. Now this really is a
videogame in the full sense of the word, presented and
played just like a madcap TV game show, with host,
hostess and over-the-top contestants.
Designed for play by a group of people, Twisted
provides each player with an onscreen alter ego -
displayed using FMV overlaid on slickly rendered
backgrounds. The participants each take turns to 'throw'
the electronic dice and move around a spiral board.
Depending where your character lands the player then
has to successfully complete a task: escape the Wheel Of
Torture; answer trivia questions; pair up pictures; etc.
1 ^
EA's Shock Wave is a
believable mixture of 3D alien-
bashing, punctuated by
glorious FMV space sequences
As a concept, Twisted is very original. It's also
flawlessly presented and, played in the right frame of
mind, good fun. The novelty might wear off after a few
sessions, but it's a commendable attempt to
provide a genuinely innovative
3DO experience.
Play Twisted and you're taking part in a weird TV game
show, where the aim is to win a trip back to reality.
Take it in turns to move up the spiral board, facing
challenges such as the dreaded Wheel Of Torture!
Roadshow Venues
23-24th July
Thorpe Park Surrey
26-28th July
New Forest Show Brockenhurst
30-31 st July
Fairford International Air Tattoo
Gloucester
2-7th August
Swanage Regatta & Carnival Dorset
9- 10th August
Lakeside Thurrock Essex
12- 14th August
Northampton Balloon Festival
17-21 st August
Airborne '94 Eastbourne
24-27th August
1st Sept
Bucks Show Aylesbury TBC
3-4th Sept
Sheffield Show
7-1 3th Sept
Chessington World of Adventures
21 -25th Sept
LIVE '94, Earls Court London
28th Sept. -4th Oct
28th Sept. -4th Oct
Lakeside Thurrock Essex
9th Oct
East of England Autumn Exhibition
Peterborough
11 -15th Oct
Medowhall Centre Sheffield
17-22nd Oct
Merryhill Centre
Brierly Hill West Midlands TBC
24-29th Oct
Fairfield Halls Croydon
2nd Nov
City of Portsmouth Firework Display
i
26th Big Night Out Suffolk
7-1 2th Nov
Clifton Moor Centre York
14- 18th Nov
Metrocentre Gateshead
These details correct at time of going to
press. For further info call: 0800 444 220
Turn up and
The power is
for you
Get your hands on the
Panasonic R I
3DO Interactive Multiplayer System
at the most exciting experience of the year.
The Panasonic Juggernaut Roadshow
will juggle your senses.
It is
^^^^^
Panasonic
♦
8
I
I
3DO INTERACTIVE MULTIPLAYER
Edge 3D0 supplement
3
8
For 3DO
read
3P0
The real deal?
of 50 times
The 3D0 dream
machine arrives
i Crash 'n Burn
is
For all the latest news, reviews and
previews of 3D0 software, there's only
one magazine worth buying: Edge
subscription order su PP
SC/0894
Edge was the first
magazine to feature
the new hardware
phenomenon, 3D0
When Panasonic
launched their 3D0
player in the US,
Edge was there first
The world's first
review of the world's
first 3D0 game
appeared in Edge
14
■P '" Jt here's really only one way to keep abreast of the fast-moving
I world of 3 DO - and the whole interactive entertainment
HUP industry, for that matter - and that's by subscribing to Edge.
Voted Magazine Of The Year (left) after just four issues, Edge has
already become the bible of the videogame industry, with major
features on new hardware, plus games news from Japan and the US.
To subscribe, all you have to do is fill in the forms opposite (to pay
by direct debit fill in form 2 as well) and send it all to:
Edge, Future Publishing Ltd, FREEPOST (BS4900), Somerton,
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+ p * % - m ^
Designed by Amowrrz, Inc. Programmed ond Produced by Amowrrz,
Inc. and The Software Toolworks, Inc. Copyright © 1 992-94 The
Software Toolworks, Inc. Copyright ©1992-94 A/nowiti, Inc.
Copyright © 1 992-94 Zoological Society of Son Diego. All
Rights Reserved. Son Diego Zoo is a licensed
trademark of the Zoological Society of Son Diego
MINDSCAPE
20th
CENTURY
ALMANAC
Travel through the
20th Century in a
day!
Land on the moon,
attend Woodstock,
listen to and watch
President Kennedy's
inauguration, join
the crowd for the
1916 World Series.
This multimedia
reference work
uses an extensive archive of motion
videos to produce a visual encyclopaedia
of the century, including audio, photos,
and text.
Copyright © 1993 The Software Toolworks, Inc. Video ond film footage for The Software ToohvorksA. 20th Century Video Almonoc is from
the CEL Archive. Copyright © 1993 CEL Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. IBM is o registered trademark of International Business
Mochines Corp. The Softwore Toolworks onditslogoore registered trodemarksof The Softwore Toolworks, Inc.
MEGARACE
Players pit themselves against one of
five computer generated drivers as
they navigate
through three-
dimensional
obstacles to take
the lead... using
any means
necessary!
Winning is all that
counts!
Use weapons,
tricks, and skill to
cross the finish in
first place!
Copyright ©1994 The Softwore Toolworks, Inc. Copyright ©1994
Cryo Interactive Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. The Software
Toolworks is a registered trademark and Megarace is a trademark
of The Software Toolworks, Inc. All trademarks and registered
trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Head to Head
Dd/vxvg Combat on the
Race Track of the Future!
_ Mindscape Infc mal
'' , Priority House, Charles Avenue, Waitings Park,
MINDSCAPE Burgess Hill, West Sussex RH15 9PQ.
Tel: 0444 246333
Panasonic have invited Edge magazine
to introduce you to the world of 3DO
y ' ■
This supplement explains the 3D0
standard, its history, and what it can do
It provides in-depth descriptions of the
IP best games available for the UK launch
jff^ And previews new games coming from
U(F the UK, America and Japan
Panasonic
In association with
m
Your guarantee of value
